Se connecterOctober 13, 2026. Chapters 1-2.
~ Mira ~*Ironwood Keep*Mira sat before her dressing table, examining the assortment of jewelry laid out before her.It was still early evening, and she still hadn't decided which necklace would best complement her dress for tomorrow. She picked up a pair of earrings, held them against her ears, then set them down again.The keep was unusually quiet tonight. Cassian had returned from Mooncrest earlier that day, and the journey had clearly exhausted him. He had asked the household to keep the noise to a minimum, hoping to enjoy a peaceful evening and retire early.Mira had no objection to that. A quiet evening meant fewer interruptions, or so she thought.A crow suddenly called outside her window.She paused, her fingers stilling over a necklace.Another call followed.Mira's expression hardened.That was the signal.It meant the warriors of House Calder were here.Mira felt nervous. She glanced at Cassian, who was asleep on the bed, then toward the window.The crow's call still echoe
~ Gideon ~*House of Calder Barracks, Mooncrest*Gideon walked into the barracks and immediately noticed four bottles of rum sitting on the table.He frowned, approaching them with curiosity. Beside the bottles was a small piece of parchment, folded neatly in half.He picked it up and read the message: [To a great warrior, whose service deserves a worthy reward.]Gideon raised an eyebrow. “Well, that is rather generous.”“What is it?” Erwan asked as he walked into the chamber.Gideon held up one bottle. “It seems someone has left us gifts.”Erwan immediately glanced at the table. “Rum? Who would be generous enough to leave us four bottles of rum?”“Perhaps Lord Darius?” Gideon smirked. “We did manage to turn suspicion toward the House of Ashbourne, after all, when we dealt with the spy who overheard our conversation with Mira.”“It's Princess Mira,” Hugo corrected as he walked in. He was accompanied by Bram, their usual designated driver whenever they traveled by carriage. Hugo was t
~ Elara ~*Frostfang*“I…” The man hesitated. “I don’t know.”“Then perhaps Renatus,” Isolde offered. “Or René for short. A name for a man given another chance at life.”“Is that the name’s meaning, Mother?” Elara asked.Isolde nodded. “That is what one of our priestesses said.”“René sounds nice,” Elara said, smiling.“René,” the man mouthed. He smiled faintly and said, “I like it. Then you can call me René, Lady Isolde, Princess Elara.”Just then, the maids arrived, bringing the freshly reheated dishes. The rich aroma of roasted chicken and simmering beef stew filled the room, mingling with the earthy scent of cooked potatoes and carrots.René's eyes lingered on the food. He swallowed, seemingly unable to hide his hunger.“Help yourself,” Isolde said, motioning to the food.But René hesitated.Elara, however, didn’t. She said, “Do you mind if I have the whole chicken to myself?”“Elara!” Isolde glared at her.She pouted and negotiated. “Fine, half will do.”“René, forgive Elara,” Iso
~ Elara ~*Frostfang*“There’s no need to repay us,” Isolde replied. “But we do insist that you regain your health first.”Then, as though she thought it was not her answer to give, she turned to Elara and asked, “Isn’t that right, Elara?”Elara smiled at the Northhavener. “Yes, that’s right. We saved you because we felt it was the right thing to do. We believe you are a good person. I sensed it in the way you called upon the Moon Goddess before you fainted in the Whispering Forest. We do not wish for anything in return.”The man hesitated before asking, “So, you were there. You saw.”Elara nodded. “We were leaving the forest, making our way here to Frostfang, when we saw you running for your life. You stumbled and... pleaded to the Moon Goddess. We could not hear your words, but we could tell by the way you gazed upon the moon. Later, my cousin and husband killed the Northhaven warriors who had been pursuing you.”The man lowered his gaze, his hands trembling as he slowly curled them
~ Elara ~*Frostfang Keep*Elara watched as Kael and the others prepared to depart from the Keep's main entrance.She had already tried reasoning with her husband, but he had been rather firm about leaving her behind. Apparently, the safety of their unborn pups mattered more than her desire to personally deal with the warriors who had nearly killed Seth.She still couldn't believe he had told her to stay behind and sit pretty, as if she were some delicate maiden who couldn't even defend herself!‘Well, if Kael thought I would simply remain in the keep while they went off to confront the enemy, he was sorely mistaken,’ she mused.Elara had already come up with a plan.“Are you certain you are not angry with me, Elara?” Kael asked, approaching her.Elara looked up at him and offered her sweetest smile. “Of course not, my love. You only wish for me and your pups to be safe.”“Good.” Kael gently pinched her cheek. “I expect you to remain in Frostfang until we return. And do check on our gu
~ Elara ~*Frostfang Keep*Isolde let out a sigh of relief. “Thank the Goddess. I thought there was something else I needed to weep over.”Cedric, however, was still troubled by the prospect of bringing twenty pups into this realm.Seth was struggling to hold back his laughter. He couldn't, for the life of him, imagine his commander raising so many children.As for Kael, Ilias, and even the Moonborn Healer, they kept their mouths shut. Ilias, especially, knew better than to challenge Elara over Cedric's quota. Otherwise, he might be the one made to bear twenty pups.“Truthfully, there is still a serious matter I need to reveal,” Elara said, glancing between Isolde and Cedric.“What is it this time, Elara?” Cedric asked with a frown. “I believe you have already given me the worst revelations.”Elara lowered her gaze. “Remember when I told you that Northhaven attacked Asteria, and Kael and I died at the same time? Well, before that happened, I fought a high-ranking commander of Northhave







